Apple is Planning to Make Taking Concert Photos and Videos a Lot More Difficult
Using phones to take photos and videos at a show is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the ability to snap off a couple of quick shot of a band and post them to Instagram is really helpful, and can help promote awesome artists doing cool things. On the other, there are those people who just stand there and film large portions of a concert, blocking your view and kind of cheapening the whole experience.
But Apple has decided to throw their hat in the ring regarding show photos. The company has just acquired the patent for new technology that could ostensibly make recording photos and video at concerts more difficult, if not entirely impossible.
Basically, this new technology would allow the iPhone camera to view the infrared spectrum of light. Among the many ways this technology could be utilized is that venues could install infrared transmitters that could watermark all photos you take of the stage, or even just shut down your camera the minute you raise it towards the stage.
Now, as Fact Magazine points out, this is simply one way this technology could be used. A cooler aspect of this tech is that it could be a tool at museums, sending information to your screen as you aim your camera at an exhibit–though they also point out the significantly uncool fact that it could be use to block photos and video taken in “sensitive locations”, which sounds a lot like riot police could darken an area where they were beating the asses of the innocent.
For your average metalhead, of course, it’s the inability to take photos of your favorite band that’s most problematic, but honestly, I can’t see that being a widespread issue. While some artists like Danzig are especially against being filmed or photographed at shows, plenty of bands are happy to get as much social media attention out there as possible. Metal remains heavily underground, after all, so these bands need that fan support.
We’ll see if Apple chooses to use this technology in these ways, but don’t be surprised if your phone shuts down midway through you trying to film an entire Lacuna Coil song.
[via RockFeed]
